WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Pasta, beans, and greens provide a great combination of flavors and textures for this one-dish meal. In addition to the usual creamy cannellini beans, we added pinto beans for meatiness, while Swiss chard made an appealing twofer for the greens component. We sautéed the chopped chard stems at the outset of cooking but waited until the end to sprinkle the tender leaves on top, and then we covered the pot and let the leaves steam gently off the heat. A small amount of pancetta provided a meaty background, and two additions of rosemary gave the dish a subtle but pervasive herbal flavor. Instead of draining and rinsing the canned beans, we mixed the starchy liquid with water and a handful of grated Parmesan to produce a creamy, stew-like sauce to bring it all together. We cooked the pasta separately until just shy of al dente and then finished cooking it in the broth so that it could soak up some of the broth’s meaty flavor. If fusilli is unavailable, farfalle or campanelle are good substitutes. A rasp-style grater makes easy work of mincing the garlic to a paste. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
SERVES: 6
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 ounces pancetta, chopped fine
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 10 ounces Swiss chard, stems chopped fine, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 garlic clove, minced to paste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
- 1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional), plus 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving
- 8 ounces (2½ cups) fusilli
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- COOK PANCETTA AND VEGETABLES:
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking.
- Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add onion and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon rosemary, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in beans and their liquid, 1½ cups water, and Parmesan rind, if using, and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
- COOK PASTA AND COMBINE WITH BEANS AND CHARD
- Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan.
- Add pasta and 1½ teaspoons salt and cook until pasta is just shy of al dente.
- Drain pasta, then stir into beans.
- Spread chard leaves on top, cover, and remove pot from heat.
- Let sit until pasta is fully cooked and chard leaves are wilted, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Discard Parmesan rind, if using.
- Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, ½ cup Parmesan, and vinegar.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
